A Column of Fire

DAVID TICKNER

Synopsis

1558, and Europe is in revolt as religious hatred sweeps the continent. Elizabeth Tudor has ascended to the throne but she is not safe in this dangerous new world. There are many who would see her removed. Elizabeth determines to set up a new secret service: a group of resourceful spies and courageous agents entrusted to keep her safe and in power. As she searches for those who will make the difference, one man stands out. For Ned Willard the opportunity to serve his queen is God-sent. He will spend his life protecting his monarch from the tyrants who aim to destroy her or die trying.

1. All material including images, text and audio on the website is the property of The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship ("CSRF") or its affiliate companies and is subject to copyright. All trade marks, names, logos and other intellectual property is also owned by CSRF or its affiliate companies. You may browse this site for personal entertainment and information, and reproduction for non-commercial personal use is permitted. Any modification, transmission, hiring, copying (other than for non-commercial personal use) reusing or otherwise using the content of the website for public or commercial purposes is prohibited.
2. Whilst CSRF has worked diligently to provide accurate and complete information, it will not be liable to any person for any loss or damage which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of the website (or any inability to use it) or any of the information contained on the website. The website and the information and material which it contains are subject to change without notice. All warranties, whether express or implied as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained on the website or in respect of any materials or products referred to on the website are hereby excluded to the extent permitted by law.
3. Links on the website and other related CSRF websites may lead to other websites. The content, accuracy and function of such websites is outside the control of CSRF and CSRF accepts no responsibility for the content, accuracy or function of such websites nor does CSRF endorse the contents of such sites.
4. You may choose to provide CSRF with information about yourself in the course of using the website. By doing so, you expressly consent to CSRF using this data for the purposes of research and marketing. You also consent to CSRF transferring the data to affiliate companies of CSRF throughout the world for such purposes. Any information which you provide will only be used by CSRF and its affiliates and will not be sold or made available to third parties. We may also make use of the data for direct marketing purposes. It may also be used internally by CSRF to assess the function of our websites and the needs of our customers.
5. Any communication or material which you transmit to CSRF through the website or otherwise via the Internet will be treated as non confidential. Any communications and other material which you send to CSRF are and shall remain the property of CSRF and maybe used by us for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or otherwise without compensation.
6. Our website uses cookies. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we will put on your computer. These cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of the website which helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and allows us to improve our site. We also use 'analytical' cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our site when they're using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example by making sure users are finding what they need easily.
7. This disclaimer is governed by English law.

Sorry! That email/password combination cannot be found

Thank you! We have sent you an email to verify your account. Your comment will be published, subject to approval, after you have confirmed your email address.

Thank you! Your comment is waiting for approval and we will let you know when it goes live.

I have not read any books by Ken Follett before and do not think I shall again. Life is too short to fit in 900 page books. I think it would have made at least two books if not three and for that, I blame the editors.

That said, the book paints a vivid picture of life in 1558-1605 and is set in a period of our history when religious intolerance was central as the Reformation took hold, setting Catholic against Protestant. We learn of the political intrigues in the English, Scottish and French courts, set against the romance between Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald.

There are a host of characters who dip in and out of the book, including Elizabeth 1 and William Cecil, thankfully we were given a cast of characters for reference. It is a vast canvas, too expansive in scope and is the third in a trilogy by Ken Follett about Kingsbridge.

A sprawling novel, sorry not for me and I would give it 3 stars.

Marian Lusher

From:Marian Lusher

Published:
15 March 2019

Well, it has taken me forever to read this book. I did find it interesting to read about the period although the fact woven with fiction made it a bit confusing at times. A good history lesson overall, however. I have not read Ken Follet before and only discovered this was the third in a trilogy after reading it. It could have been the third and the fourth! Plus have been edited down. There were several instances of actions early in the book being referred to and explained later. I will try Ken Follet again but will be prepared for a lengthy read. 3 stars.

From:Joyce Pedersen

Published:
31 January 2019

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

At 746 pages, this was a marathon. I had to renew it. The book covers 62 years of British history (1558-1620). The central character, Ned Willard, a bright and wealthy second son of a merchant, is a loyal supporter of the Protestant cause. He becomes a spy in the service of Queen Elizabeth I and then James I of England (James VI of Scotland). He is such a capable character that he single-handedly manages to discover the hidden gunpowder beneath the houses of parliament and foils the gunpowder plot.

The book has many strengths: the historical events are well woven into the romance between Ned and Margery, who despite being strong-willed is forced by her parents to marry the son of an Earl for prestige and wealth.

I find historical novels disappointing in their lack of detail about daily life in Tudor and Stuart England-a breakfast of hen’s eggs and weak beer anyone?

The torture and barbarity is shocking and the enmity between Catholics and Protestants is incomprehensible from the perspective of a tolerant modern society. This is a good way to learn about this period of the history of England and Europe but for me it was overlong and unvaried.

Most read

Please select the subscription you'd like to buy from the choice(s) below and then go straight to payment method.
If you want to include a donation with your subscription purchase then select 'Other Amount' and then enter the relevant total.
Do not select 'set up a regular payment' unless you are planning to make a monthly, quarterly or annual donation.